Bulgarian Judiciary Outraged by EU Probe

Bulgarian Chief Prosecutor, Boris Velchev, says he sees a huge problem if the EU experts, who are to arrive next week, monitor cases which are in pre-trial stage. Photo by BGNES

The news that experts from the European Union are going to probe five emblematic Court cases in Bulgaria has met the strong resistance of local magistrates and defendants.

Judge, Mimi Petrova, who is presiding over the case against the former Head of the municipal company Sofia Properties, Toshko Dobrev, labeled the probe an "absolute interference in the sovereignty of the Courts." Dobrev, himself, stated that this was an "unprecedented attempt to suggest to the judges that there was a need of guilty sentences."

The lawyer of Mario Nikolov, who is tried in a high-profile SAPARD funds draining case, closely monitored by the EU, also says the probes are interference. Meanwhile, the Sofia Court of Appeals announced that they will decide within a month if Nikolov's 12-year prison sentence must be upheld.

On Thursday, Chief Prosecutor, Boris Velchev, stated he did not see a problem with his office giving information on emblematic cases to foreign magistrates. He, however, stressed he would consider it a huge problem if the EU experts, who are to arrive next week, monitor cases which are in pre-trial stage.

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